Gloucester City gets a SECOND St. Patrick's Day parade in 2019.

Msgr. William Hodge, who became pastor at St. Mary’s parish in July, holds the flag of Ireland outside his Gloucester City church. “I just couldn’t believe they didn’t have a St. Patrick’s Day parade,“ he said. “I figured the people here would react very positively.”

It's the Kelly green of little molded leprechauns dancing on front lawns. It's the moss green of banners reading "Happy St. Patrick's Day" and "Erin go bragh," and of those iron-on patches for sale at a local gift shop that read "Gloucester City: Bleeding Green Since 1623."

But it wasn't green enough for the new pastor at St. Mary's Catholic Church.

"I just couldn't believe they didn't have a St. Patrick's Day parade," Msgr. William Hodge marveled last week.

For a town claiming the third-largest Irish population per capita in New Jersey, it was like a dog without a bark, Sunday Mass without Holy Communion.

It was a situation that had to be rectified, and so it was. At 1 p.m. Sunday, whistles will tweet, bagpipes will skirl, drums will thrum, and Gloucester City will host its very first St. Patrick's Day parade. The second one will be held on March 4th in 2018 on Monmouth St.

"I figured the people here would react very positively," said Hodge, 65, who in July became pastor of St. Mary's, the oldest parish in the Diocese of Camden.

He hit on the idea for a parade in December, and by February had a parade permit. "It's all happening so fast," said funeral director Patrick Healey, one of the parade organizers.

"I'm excited. Everybody's excited, because it's so long overdue," said Kathy Reddy, owner of Sunshine Flowers & Gifts on North Broadway.

In addition to those "bleeding green" iron-on patches, her shop this month is selling shamrock-shape sunglasses, ceramic statuettes of St. Patrick banishing snakes from Ireland, a stuffed bear that sings "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling," green plastic top hats, and bags of genuine dirt from Ireland at $9.95 a pound.

"We sell those all year round," she said of the dirt. "People like to sprinkle it on graves."

In the 800 block of Monmouth Street, eight of 13 houses on the north side of the street were displaying an Irish emblem this week.

"I think a lot of people are looking forward to the parade," said Tom Kerchersky, 59, whose home's exterior was decorated with shamrocks.

Inside, the walls displayed numerous Irish blessings. The dining and breakfast tables wore shamrock-shape place mats, green bunting hung from the ceiling, and the kitchen counter featured plaques reading "Irish whiskey makes me frisky" and "When Irish eyes are smiling, they're usually up to something."

"These are my wife's," explained Kerchersky, whose wife, Maria, grew up in town. "They usually go up around Feb. 15."

She is the sister of Gloucester City's mayor, William James, who predicted the parade would be "good for the city."

"It's a great way to show us off to people who don't know us," said James. He was not concerned, he said, about rowdiness or public drunkenness during the parade "because it's just a quarter-mile," from King Street down Monmouth Street to the foot of St. Mary's stately spire.

"It's our first one," Hodge explained. "I didn't want it to look anemic," he said, and so opted for a short route with dense crowds.

The Camden Diocese's Bishop Dennis Sullivan will be grand marshal, and marchers will include the Knights of Columbus, the Camden County Emerald Society Band, the Ancient Order of Hibernians, two Mummers string bands, the Gloucester City Irish Society, several school bands, and elected officials.

Close to half the parish's 1,500 families claim Irish heritage, according to Hodge. St. Mary's was founded in 1848, "at the height of the famine," he said, that drove so many Irish to America.

Saturday, June 9th, 2018

Past Dates

Wednesday, February 7th, 2018

Duffy Club House

Duffy Open House - 7PM

2230 Cedar St Philadelphia, PA 19125

Price: free

Never let the joy of making music with others leave your soul. Our band doesn't care about political affiliation, or age, race, religion or gender. We're about MAKING MUSIC - realtime, face to face with people who want to be a part of CREATING art instead of just passively consuming it.That's what we believe, anyway. Join us?

January 2018

Saturday, December 9th, 2017

Christmas Parade starts at 3:00 p.m.The parade marches along Lancaster Avenue, starting in the west end at Gable Avenue and ending at Whiteland Avenue/Rt. 113.

Saturday, December 2nd, 2017

Coatesville Parade

The Duffy String Band joins the parade!! - 8:30 AM

Coatesville, pA Coatesville, PA

Sunday, November 26th, 2017

SANTA PARADE!!

Santa Parade - 5PM

Downtown Media, PA Media, PA

Saturday, November 25th, 2017

Duffy Marches!

Duffy MARCHES - 11am wilmington, 1PM Swedesboro

Wilmington and Swedesboro Wilmington and Swedesboro, PA

Sunday, November 19th, 2017

Duffy String Band Jam

Duffy Jam - no cover - 4PM to 8PM

Duffy Club House 2230 Cedar St Philadelphia, PA 19125

Price: free

Join the Duffy String Band as we kick off the 2017 Mumseason! Stop by the Duffy String Band Clubhouse located at 2230 Cedar St, Fishtown on Sunday, November 19th, from 4PM-8PM. Good For You will perform. Cash Bar featuring Duffy's own specialty drink, Wicked. NO COVER!